Skip to main content

Well-Meaning White Woman

Not gonna lie, I'm feeling more overwhelmed by this goal than I thought, so using the end of 2022 to kick out my self-doubts and just push forward.

It's idealistic to say I want to empower as many people, especially women with little to no privilege given to them in life so far, to own land. Property. A stable home. But my hesitations aren't in THEM but in myself. Who am I to say I can do for them what decades of their experience and dozens of agencies have yet to be able to. 

But I firmly believe, and it's commonly known in marketing and educational circles, that you need to hear something at least seven times and in seven different ways before you will bring an idea into action or firm understanding. So I'm going forward with the idea that maybe I can just be one of the seven to help add to the conversation.

I also still carry too much of the "what will people think of me" ego. I'm fully aware of the "white savior complex" and "well-meaning white woman" stereotypes attached with swooping into a community to do the good we think needs to be done. But then, that's the reason I'm focusing on the communities I belong to. Maybe I didn't grow up on the rez, but I feel the generational trauma of a grandmother who was forced into boarding schools. My heart feels at home when I hear a drum circle or watch a fancy dance. I have friends from the reservations, I've worked on the reservations, and I believe I can be a conduit from them to playing the game of capitalism and real estate, of which I also wasn't born and raised in, but that I have sought to understand with a curiosity and dedicated my free time to elevate my knowledge to an above-average understanding.

So I'm going to push forward and risk looking stupid. I'm going to take criticisms with a sense of gratitude for learning and seeking to understand another level. I'm going to go full force in 2023 with empowerment through love and meeting people where they are, not ego and seeking to make myself feel better. Right headspace, right intentions.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HUD 184 - Indian Home Loan Guarantee

 Today I want to do a deep dive on HUD 184 , or the Housing and Urban Development's home loan guarantee program for Native American borrowers! A "home loan guarantee" doesn't mean that you're guaranteed the loan (wouldn't THAT be nice lol!), it means that HUD will guarantee the bank reimbursement if something happens and the lender forecloses. They take the risk from the lender to open more doors and help potential home buyers have more options for mortgages. Other advantages include: - down payment required of only 2.25% is for loans over $50,000 (not the 20% you've been told) - low-interest rates that aren't based on credit score, but on the best market rate - manual underwriting means the lender can have discussions about things like debt to income or credit score rather than yes or no approvals based on what's on paper - lower mortgage insurance than the typical PMI if your down payment is under 20% To qualify for a HUD 184 in Minnesota, you ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

$0 Down Buying Options - VA and USDA

One of the biggest barriers to homeownership is the daunting belief that you need 20% down to even look at buying a house. In today's market, a "cheap" house in the metro is $250,000 and 20% would mean you need $50K before you even start.  No thanks.  So I attended a brown bag info session with Dawn at American Pacific Mortgage  (important to note: they also have an office in Indian Country, based in Bemidji !). Dawn did a great presentation that focused on two $0 down government-backed options, and while I don't have her slides, I'll do my best to relay the highlights of each program. VA LOAN This one is limited to people who served in the military, as it's backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is the loan I got, first through my Iraq War Veteran husband, then on my own after I served 6 years in the Reserves.  It's important to note, this is not a benefit you get right out of basic training, like your education money. You have to complete som...
Post a Comment
Read more

Start Up - First Time Homebuyer Program in MN

 This is the real meat of this blog: I want to find all the best programs for new buyers, translate the housing jargon, and get it to you packaged all nice and clear for you to consider! Minnesota Housing  works with everything from homeless shelters to rental help and into homebuying! Start Up is their flagship program for first-time homebuyers, so let's dig into some of the requirements to qualify and how it will look when you go to buy a home. I read the whole manual so you don't have to, and here are the highlights: - Requirements of the borrower (you): -- 18 years or older -- may not have owned a home at least for the 3 years prior to this loan -- you need to intend to live in this home within 60 days of closing, and it needs to be your primary residence. -- attend a Homebuyer Education Program. There's don't expire, so you could do it anytime! I'll do a separate blog on these, but basically, it will be a course to learn the details of buying a home - a good cl...
Post a Comment
Read more